Car Listing Photo Checklist South Africa: Take Photos That Sell Damaged Cars Fast

Why Quality Photos Matter When Selling a Damaged Car

Whether you're selling a non-running, accident-damaged, or salvage car in South Africa, photos are your most important tool to secure a competitive cash offer. Accurate, clear images build buyer trust, speed up the offer process, and help services like Sell Your Damaged Car value your vehicle transparently-no matter its condition.

Overview: The Essential Car Photo Checklist

• Exterior: 4 corners and both side profiles
• Front and rear close-ups (include damage details)
• Interior: dashboard, seats, and odometer
• Engine bay, tyres, and any visible damage
• Car license disc and registration if available

When Should You Take New Photos?

• After any accident or significant new damage
• Before sending a car to salvage inspection
• Immediately before listing, to reflect current condition

For South African sellers, day-time photos with a clean background (driveway, parking lot, not roadside) ensure clearer images and inspire more confidence from buyers or car-buying services. Remember: transparency ensures smoother, faster offers.

Step-by-Step: Car Photo Guide for Damaged and Non-Running Vehicles

1. Wash or dust off your car (if possible) to make damage and details visible.
2. Photograph the car in good daylight-avoid harsh shadows or direct sun glare.
3. Take wide shots from each of the four corners to show the full body.
4. Snap each side profile (driver and passenger), plus head-on and direct rear views.
5. Zoom in on any and all visible damage: scrapes, dents, cracked lights, windscreen chips, alloy scratches.
6. Pop the bonnet and capture the engine bay, battery, and any obvious mechanical damage.
7. Open all doors and shoot the dashboard, both front seats, and the odometer (displaying kilometres).
8. Show tyres and wheels-full tread, rim condition, spare if present.
9. Include a clear photo of the license disc (on windscreen) and original registration/licensing paperwork if you still have it.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Blurry, dark or cropped images that hide damage
• Leaving out VIN, odometer, or interior photos (especially for insurance-written-off or fleet vehicles)
• Using old photos that don't reflect present condition

South African Paperwork: Why It's Worth Photographing

Including images of your license disc and registration helps verify ownership, speeds up offers from reputable services, and streamlines paperwork for deregistration if you're selling to a specialist like Sell Your Damaged Car. For vehicles under finance, also photograph settlement letters if available (never share sensitive info online).

Local Example: Photographing a Johannesburg Accident Vehicle

After a collision at a Johannesburg intersection, Lerato took the following step-by-step photos for her written-off hatchback: wide shots of the front and rear showing impact, close-ups of all damaged panels and headlights, interior dashboard with illuminated warning lights, and the current license disc. Her clear, complete set earned a fast, fair valuation from a national buyer, with no offer delays.

Summary Table: Photo Checklist at a Glance

Your Final Pre-Submission Checklist

• Clear, current, well-lit images (10-15 recommended)
• Include every area, no cropping or filters
• Have paperwork ready and visible for the camera

Sources

• Sell Your Damaged Car - How It Works
• Arrive Alive: Car Sales in South Africa - Legal Requirements
• Cars.co.za: Guide to Photographing Cars for Online Listings
• South African Government: Vehicle Registration & Deregistration